Court hears of 'secret relationship' between knife stab victim and sister of youth accused of his murder

THE mother of a young man stabbed to death in Claremorris agreed with a barrister in the Central Criminal Court today he had been in a 'secret relationship' with the sister of the youth who is accused of murdering him. 

Mrs Ilona Jenkuviene told Ms. Justice Eileen Creedon and a jury that neither she or any member of her family knew that 17-year-old Dovydas Jenkas was away from their home at Mount Street, Claremorris, on the night that he died.

The victim, a student at a local secondary school, died from a single stab wound inflicted in the garden of a house in Claremorris in the early hours of December 19, 2015.

As a result of the death a youth, who cannot be named for legal reasons, has been charged with murder. He denies the charge.

Evidence was earlier given to the court that the victim had been watching videos with the sister of the accused in her mother's bedroom while her mother was absent.

The court has heard that the accused came knocking on the bedroom door demanding to know who was inside but his sister would not tell him.

Afterwards the victim left through a window and was chased around a trampoline in the garden by the accused with a homemade knife. 

Mr. Dovydas, one of a Lithuanian family of five who settled in Claremorris in 2011, died from a single stab wound to the chest despite intensive efforts by a neighbour and paramedics to save him.

Cross examined today by defence counsel Mr. Michael Bowman, Mrs. Jenkuviene agreed there seemed to have been a 'secret relationship' between the pair.

She also agreed he had started to leave the family home without permission.

In respect of the night he died, Mrs. Jenkuviene explained: “Nobody knew he had left (the house). If I knew I would not have gone to sleep and I would not have let him out.â€

The trial has been adjourned until Tuesday next when the State Pathologist, Dr. Marie Cassidy, is expected to give evidence.